The ECR Group has welcomed the European Parliament’s support for the establishment of an annual European Day for the victims of workplace accidents. In a resolution adopted in Strasbourg, Parliament also called for greater awareness of workplace safety risks and improved prevention policies across the European Union.

Following the vote, ECR Coordinator in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Chiara Gemma said:

“Health and safety at work should be a fundamental right and a priority for everyone.

“Every worker who leaves home in the morning deserves to return safely to their family in the evening. The issue is about prevention, responsibility and respect for the people who keep European societies functioning every day.”

A central element of the text is the proposal to establish an annual European Day in memory of the victims of workplace accidents and for the protection and dignity of workers, to be commemorated every year on 8 August in memory of the 1956 Marcinelle mining disaster in Belgium.

“On 8 August 1956, 262 miners from Italy, Belgium, Poland, France, Germany and Greece lost their lives in the Bois du Cazier mine. The tragedy remains one of the defining moments in Europe’s collective awareness of the need for stronger workplace safety standards.

“From that pain emerged a new European awareness of the value of safety, dignity at work and the protection of mobile workers. For this reason, we wanted this proposal not to be merely commemorative. Memory must become prevention, training and shared responsibility.”

Gemma stressed the importance of concrete action to reduce workplace accidents and fatalities across Europe.

“The resolution addresses a real emergency: in 2023, there were 3,298 work-related deaths and around 2.8 million non-fatal accidents in the European Union, especially in high-risk sectors such as construction, transport, manufacturing and agriculture.

“The text relaunches the ‘Vision Zero’ approach, calling for more prevention and the full implementation of existing rules.”

The ECR Group also highlighted the importance of addressing new workplace risks linked to digitalisation and changing labour conditions.

“Particular attention is also given to the new risks linked to digitalisation, algorithmic management of work, psychosocial risks and the transformations of the labour market, which require updated tools without burdening employers.”

The adopted resolution will now be transmitted to the European Commission and the Council.